Visual torque indication for threaded joints
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsTed Lewis Robertson, Ronald Bruce Schofield
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A threaded element for a mechanical joint includes a body including threads and a visual torque indicator disposed on the body, the torque indicator including a strain-responsive material configured to change visual appearance in response to the application of a strain of a predetermined first magnitude thereto.
Claims19
A threaded element for a mechanical joint, comprising a body including threads and two or more visual torque indicators disposed on the body, each of the visual torque indicators including a strain-responsive material configured to change visual appearance in response to the application of a strain thereto, wherein at least one of the visual torque indicators changes visual appearance with a strain of a first magnitude and at least one of the visual torque indicators changes visual appearance with a strain of a second magnitude.
A threaded joint assembly, comprising:
- a first element having first threads;
- a second element having second threads complementary to the first threads;
- and
- wherein at least one of the first and second elements includes:
- a body having an open end and a flanged end;
- and
- at least one visual torque indicator disposed on the body at the flanged end, the visual torque indicator including a strain-responsive material configured to change visual appearance in response to the application of a strain thereto.
A threaded joint assembly, comprising:
- a first fluid conduit having external threads on a first distal end of the first fluid conduit;
- a second fluid conduit having a coupling nut positioned on and secured to a first distal end of the second fluid conduit, the coupling nut including an open end for receiving the first distal end of the first fluid conduit, internal threads complementary to the external threads, and a flange end configured to secure the coupling nut to the first distal end of the second fluid conduit, the coupling nut further including at least one visual torque indicator disposed on the coupling nut at the flange end, the visual torque indicator including a piezochromic pigment configured to change visual appearance in response to the application of a strain thereto.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.